Marcus and Sonny Johnson (1998) are the first father-son duo to win the prestigious award
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Junior Marcus Johnson of Garfield Heights High School was named 2025 Ohio Mr. Basketball on Thursday by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association. Johnson’s selection creates Ohio basketball history, as he and his father Sonny become the first father-son duo to both receive the prestigious honor. Sonny Johnson, now the head coach at Garfield Heights, won the award as a player at the same school in 1998.
Johnson will receive the award this weekend during the OHSAA state boys basketball championships at the University of Dayton Arena. The honor comes after his team narrowly missed advancing to the championship stage, falling 49-48 to Louisville in the Division III state semifinals on Sunday. Johnson, who was a finalist for the award last season as a sophomore, has been an All-Ohio first-team selection since his freshman year.
The talented junior secured this season’s award with 110 points from the statewide voting panel. Delphos St. John’s junior Cam Elwer finished as runner-up with 48 points, while Olentangy Orange senior Devin Brown, whose team will compete for the Division I state championship Saturday night, placed third with 43 points. Other finalists included Steubenville senior Aiden Davis, Brunswick junior Trey Drexler, and Kettering Archbishop Alter senior RJ Greer.
The Mr. Basketball award, now in its 38th year, was first presented by the Associated Press in 1988 and has been determined by Ohio Prep Sports Media Association voting since 2017.
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